Chasing Zebras
by andriainwonderland
Summary: Wilson's estranged niece, Lucy pays him a visit as she looks for her father. House discovers her secrets, of which there are many. HousexOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The freezing rain chilled her to the bone as she stood outside of a posh condominium complex in the better part of Princeton, New Jersey. Her black canvas sneakers were soaked through, her footsteps making a faint squishing sound as she walked up the steps to the intercom by the front doors. Pulling her backpack more securely over her shoulder, she trailed one pale and delicate finger down the list until she came to 4C. She pressed the button and waited as it buzzed the inhabitant of that particular condo. She shuffled nervously, unsure and a tad uncomfortable about having to do this. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of an alternative. It was either this or continue to be taken advantage of for the rest of her young life until she eventually broke.

About a minute passed before there came a groggy response.

"He- hello?"

She bit her bottom lip nervously before replying. "Hi, is this the residence of Dr. James Wilson?"

A pause. "It is. May I inquire as to who's asking?"

Sighing, she pressed the button once more, pulling her dark hoodie closer to her shivering body. "My name is Lucy. Lucy Wilson. I'm your niece."

"And you just let her in?"

Doctors Gregory House and James Wilson sat across from each other at a booth in the bustling Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital cafeteria, the latter enjoying a Reuben sandwich while his colleague and friend occasionally stole a handful of french-fries.

"I didn't really feel like I had a choice. She's my niece, my brother's daughter. My flesh and blood-"

"Oh spare me that idiotic family-comes-first crap," House interrupted, waving a lone fry in Wilson's general direction. "You basically let a stranger waltz right into your home without a single question in your mind."

"That's not necessarily true," Wilson defended softly. He wore a serious expression as he fiddled with a ketchup packet. He had opened the door last night to find a petite and almost sickly looking young woman with wavy auburn hair standing on his threshold, somber looking and completely soaked through. He'd invited her in and given her a towel and a cup of coffee to warm her up. Once the niceties had been observed, he'd sat across from her in an armchair in his living room, running a hand tiredly through his gray-flecked brown hair and sighing deeply.

"How- why are you here? How did you find me?"

She'd set the steaming mug down on the glass coffee table and unzipped her hoodie, revealing a faded Pixies t-shirt that clung to her skin. Tossing the jacket to the floor, she avoided eye contact as she spoke.

"Something… happened to me back in New York, and it… was sort of the last straw. My mother had walked out of my life a few years ago when she'd decided her welfare wasn't worth spending on me anymore, so I got a job as… a waitress. I started saving so that I could come here and maybe try to find my dad." She hadn't really meant to share this much with him; he might as well have been a stranger.

Lucy paused, feeling her uncle's concerned gaze boring into the top of her head. He had the same eyes as her father, a warm and inviting chocolate brown. Eyes she could trust.

"I really wasn't planning on coming until I'd saved a little more, but… I felt hopeless and I had no one else to turn to. I'm sorry if this all seems sort of… suspicious and hokey, but it's all true." Another pause as Lucy collected her thoughts. The coffee had helped to warm her insides, but she hoped she would be able to get out of these wet clothes soon. "As for how I found you… I knew your first name, and I knew you were a doctor. So I called every hospital in Princeton and asked for you by name. Eventually, I got lucky."

"And you just believed her?" House stared incredulously at his friend as he chewed another french-fry. Wilson sighed exasperatedly. "House, I'm not like you, I'm not under the impression that every single person I meet is lying about something."

House scoffed and frowned, getting up from the booth with help from his dark wooden cane. He stopped and turned to snag one last fry from Wilson's plate, dipping it in ketchup and popping it into his mouth. "Everybody lies, even Little Orphan Annie," he said as he limped away, leaving Wilson even more confused than he had been before.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Lucy stirred slightly as the golden light from a sunrise filtered in through the blinds of an open window. She groaned as she pulled the duvet over her head, just in time to hear the door to Wilson's guest bedroom open.

"Good morning, Lucy," Wilson spoke tentatively, not wanting to wake her if she wasn't already up. She sat up slowly and smiled sleepily at her well-meaning uncle. Yawning and stretching, she tossed off the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Morning, Uncle Jimmy. Thanks for letting me spend the night." She smiled again, wanting to be a cordial guest.

Wilson shook his head slightly before saying, "Think nothing of it, sweetie. You're my niece, you're family." He crossed the room to the bed and carefully sat down next to her, not wanting to invade her personal space. "Listen, Lucy, I hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but… well, I've actually been looking for Danny, you're father, for a while now, and… well, I haven't had any luck. I'm more than willing to help you if you need it, but please just… don't get your hopes up." His eyes were full of concern for her, knowing that if her mission failed she would only end up hurt and disappointed. She was too young to have gone through what she had already, he only wanted to protect her.

Lucy stared at her knees in silence, her mind racing with a multitude of thoughts. The last she'd heard of her father was that he had gone missing in the Princeton, New Jersey area. He had been homeless at the time, having lost all of his money to loan sharks and gambling. Lucy barely even knew him. Danny had walked out on her and her mom when she was very young. But she felt that he owed her something; not money, not love, just… recognition. A confirmation that he is aware of her existence, aware of the anxiety and bitterness he's caused her

"I thought you might say something like that." Lucy sighed and looked at her uncle, who was watching her with concern. "Is it okay if I give it just one more shot? You know, that whole saying, 'if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.'" She glanced at his slightly shocked expression and quickly recounted. "I mean, you know, no offense or anything. I just wanted to try for myself, that's all." She really hoped he wasn't offended; but she needed to do this, for herself.

Wilson nodded slowly, understanding where his niece was coming from. She wanted answers, and she wanted to get them on her own terms…

"It's suspicious."

"It's admirable!" Wilson stood from his desk, heated by his argument with House. The latter had barged into his office not two minutes ago, spewing some nonsense about hiring a private investigator to do a background check on Lucy. Wilson had responded fiercely. "She just wants to know what happened to her father, is that really such a big deal?"

House sat down on the leather sofa by the window and propped his feet up on the coffee table across from him, twirling a number two pencil between his fingers. His mouth was slightly ajar as he thought of his response; jerking his best friend around was one of the highlights of his day.

"You don't even know if she really is who she says she is. For all we know, she could be some stray who looked up Danny Wilson on the very convenient _World Wide Web _and decided to take advantage of his wealthy, compassionate, and completely naïve little brother."

Wilson shook his head in frustration, pacing the floor in front of his desk. He knew House was only screwing with his head; Lucy looked just like Danny. She had his almond shaped brown eyes, fine brunette hair, freckles dotted along her small button nose. She even had his small hands with their long, nimble fingers. There was no doubt in his mind that Lucy was his brother's daughter. But of course, House had to go and share his misplaced doubts.

Wilson stopped pacing and turned to face House, finger in the air, ready to make his point. "First of all, I'm far from wealthy. She would've figured that out after she walked through my front door. Second of all, I don't need you breathing down my neck about this. She is my niece, and I am going to help her find her father, no matter how long it takes."

Rolling his sharp blue eyes, House got up and left the office without another word, roughly closing the door behind him. Wilson leaned against his desk, breathing rather heavily. He hated arguing with anyone, and he hoped, in vain, that House would just drop the subject entirely.

Lucy stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing out a glass of orange juice. James had made her breakfast before leaving for work, two eggs and a bagel with a few strips of bacon. She'd asked him not to, but he'd insisted. After he had left, the majority of her breakfast had been dumped into the trash can under the sink. She'd felt bad about it, but she just hadn't any appetite. Drying the glass, she set it on the counter. The condo was completely silent save for the ticking of a wall clock in the next room. It was just past ten.

In the bathroom, Lucy examined her reflection under the fluorescent mirror lights. Her skin was pale, almost ghostly white, enhanced by her dark hair and eyes. Her eyes were slightly sunken, with blackish circles underneath them. Most people attributed them to lack of sleep. They would be right. Her cheek and collar bones protruded slightly, a little too much to be considered healthy. Most people attributed that to malnutrition. They would be right. Her hair was limp, lifeless, and in need of a good wash. She basically resembled a homeless person, someone who had been walking the streets without a proper meal for weeks, maybe months. That definitely was not the case.

In the guest bedroom, Lucy searched for the necessary items in her backpack. A syringe, a lighter and a small plastic bag with an even smaller amount of white powder inside. Holding up a spoon she took from the kitchen, Lucy placed a pinch of the powder onto the spoon and poured a little water from a bottle onto the powder. She clicked the lighter on, the flame flickering slightly before holding steady under the spoon. The mixture began to cook, bubbling slightly as it neared it's complete preparation. The heat burned her thumb somewhat, but she ignored the pain. Once the mixture was bubbling, she put away the lighter and blew.

The next step was to tie her upper arm with a medicine band, holding the excess between her teeth and effectively cutting off circulation temporarily in her left arm. She took two fingers and placed them at the crook of her elbow, lightly tapping the tight skin in that area so as to allow the veins to become more prominent. Then she filled the syringe with the concoction from the spoon and placed the tip of the needle at the center of a large purple vein; the technique was known as trainspotting. Inserting the needle into the vein, she then pushed the fluid out of the syringe and sighed in utter relief as it quickly entered her blood stream. She haphazardly discarded the needle, the soiled spoon falling to the floor as she laid back on the bed, removing the band from her arm. Immediately she began to feel the effects; it was nothing short of bliss for Lucy. A coping mechanism, a way to function. Her life force.

_Click._

Lucy sat bolt upright when she heard the lock on the front door begin to turn.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

House searched around in his coat pocket for the extra key to Wilson's apartment that he'd snagged the last time he was there. His cane rested against the wall next to the door as he fiddled with the lock. For a split second it seemed as if Wilson had changed them, but then a second later, _click_. He smirked in satisfaction and opened the door.

The condo was bright and clean, and appeared to be empty, with nothing out of place. House retrieved his cane and shut the door behind him, strolling into the room.

Lucy quickly grabbed an old and tattered sweater, pulling it over her head in order to hide her skinny form and obvious track marks. She didn't know who had come in, seeing as James was still supposed to be at work. Quickly disposing of the needle and hiding her stash in her jean pocket, she entered the hallway and looked towards the front door, catching sight of the unexpected guest.

He was tall, a lot taller than her, with rather untidy brown hair that was dotted with random grays. His face was covered in stubble, a lot more than the average five o'clock shadow, and he was dressed in dark-washed jeans, expensive looking running shoes, a blue button up shirt and a black blazer. In his right hand he held a black cane that had flames painted on the bottom. The man didn't look familiar to Lucy, and she didn't remember James telling her that someone would be coming over. The man stood just beyond the threshold of the door, examining the apartment as if he was a detective at the scene of a crime. He hadn't noticed her yet.

She took a step forward into the room and the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. The man turned to face her, and she was stopped short by his eyes. They were heavy-lidded and rather small, but the color is what made her pause in her movement. His eyes were the most stunning crystal blue, with dark pupils and a ring of black around the iris. They seemed to sparkle of their own accord, with intelligence and mischief, and Lucy found herself unable to look away from them. She felt hypnotized. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long.

"You must be the moocher," the man said, turning and limping towards her. His voice was low and gravely, and it held no trace of an accent. She noticed that it was his right leg that was hurt, not his left. She found it odd that he carried his cane with his right hand; usually it would be in the opposite hand of the injury. Adjusting to her full height, which still only allowed her to look straight at his chest, she crossed her arms and glared slightly, raising her eyebrows. "I'm not a moocher."

The man rolled his eyes and began to circle her slowly, his steps uneven thanks to the cane. "Unless you can tell me that you _didn't_ sleep in the guest bedroom last night, and that Wilson _didn't_ make you breakfast this morning, and that you planned on paying _rent_ in some form or another while you are staying here, then yes, you are a moocher. And a Class A one at that." He stopped circling and stood directly in front of her, not a foot away. She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes.

Lucy didn't feel threatened by or frightened of this man. He was rather intimidating, yes, but she didn't get the murderer or burglar vibe from him. Judging by the way he addressed her uncle as "Wilson," she deduced that he either was a neighbor, a colleague or a friend. However, he had been able to get into the apartment on his own, so the only possible explanation left was that he was a friend, a friend whom her uncle trusted enough to give the key to his home.

"Who- who are you?"

The mystery man smirked, staring down at her with a sardonic look on his face and authority in his eyes. "Just call me House. I'm the gay lover. Oops, I mean, 'best friend.'"

Lucy nearly giggled, but kept her composure under his invasive gaze. She felt as if he was reading her thoughts, and that made her uncomfortable. She shifted slightly, biting her bottom lip nervously. She just hopped he wouldn't go digging around in the trash.

House studied Wilson's unexpected guest of the previous night with apprehension, only further enhancing the disgruntled expression he always wore on his face. He thought her pretty and attractive, though he dared not show it, preferring to let her believe that he didn't like her right from the start. After all, she was taking advantage of Wilson, and as anyone who worked with them knew, he was the only one allowed to do that.

He could tell that she wasn't having any of his shit though. She was going to challenge him, and he couldn't decide whether he liked that or not.

"House, huh? Well, _House_, I'm not sure whether Uncle Jimmy has told you this or not, but-"

"You call him _Uncle Jimmy?_" House stopped circling in order to scrutinize her, unsure if he believed that Wilson would allow this woman that he barely knew to call him _Jimmy_. Though he supposed that if she was convincing enough...

"Alright, spit it out. How much is he paying you?"

Lucy furrowed her brows in confusion, her tired and hungry mind unable to follow this strange man's thought process at first. However, the junk flowing through her system allowed her brain to work at twice the speed and clarity of the average person's, so after a few seconds comprehension dawned on her face, closely followed by disgust and disbelief.

"You- you think he's _paying_ me? Like I'm some sort of... prostitute? You think he pays me to stay here and have sex with him and _call him Uncle Jimmy?_"

"I always knew he had kinky sexual tendencies. Just never knew they involved incest."

She glared darkly at him, appalled that he would choose to believe... _that_ rather than believe she was actually his niece. "That's outrageous. You're disgusting."

House smirked at the venom dripping from her voice. Either she was a very good actress on top of being a very amiable hooker, or she really was Wilson's family. Either way, he would have some fun figuring it out.

Sorry for the sort of lame ending, but I want to thank you all for reading and for the very kind reviews! If you guys ever have any suggestions or anything, don't be afraid to let me know! And I don't have a beta right now, so if there are any typos I apologize. Thanks again!


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